Means for cleaning hot-blast stoves.



No; 675,245. Patented May 28, mm. E. J. w. RICHARDS & T. LEWIS.

MEANS FOR CLEANING HOT BLAST STOVES.

(Application filed Jan. 2, 1901.)

(No Model.) 3 Shoots-Shoot I.

No. 675,245. Patented May 28, mm. E. J. w. RICHARDS &. T. LEWIS.

MEANS FOR CLEANING HUT BLAST STUVES.

' (Application filed Jan. 2, 1901. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 675,245. Patented May 28, l90l.

E. J. W. BlGHABDS &. T. LEWIS.

MEANS FOR CLEANING 'HOT BLAST STOVES.

3 Shoets Shaot 3 (Application filed Jan. 2, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR JOSIAH WINDSOR RICHARDS AND THOMAS LEWIS, OF GLEN- GARNOCK,SCOTLAND.

MEANS FOR CLEANING HOT-BLAST STOVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,245, dated May 28,1901.

Application filed January 2, 1901. Serial No. 41,873. (No moclelv) Toall whom it flea/y concern.-

Be it known that we, EDGAR J OSIAH WIND- SOR RICHARDS, general manager,residing at Cottage, and THOMAS LEWIS, engineer, residing at GarnocksideCottages, both of Glengarnock, county of Ayr, Scotland, subjects of theQueen of the United Kingdom of Great honeycomb filling, and finallyescaping to the In practice it has been found that the quantity of dustin the waste gases issuing from the blast-furnaces so accumulates withinthe honeycomb filling that in the course of time all the passages becomecompletely choked, the heating of the stove being thus daily impaireduntil the stove finally becomes useless.

The first object of our invention is there fore to effectively clean thepassages in the honeycomb filling should they by an oversight havebecome choked, which cleaning cannot be performed under the existingconstruction without laying off the stove, and to enable the saidpassages to be kept perfectly free when once cleaned; also to regulatethe draft or heating of such stoves and regulate the blast. V

In order that our said invention may be more ,readily understood andeasily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the same withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a verticalsection taken on the line C 0, Fig. 3, of a stove constructed inaccordance with our invention, a portion at the center being brokenaway. Fig'. 2'is a similar View to the lower end of the stove, taken onthe line D D, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a crosssection taken on the line B B,Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line A A, Fig. 1.

Referring to the said drawings, in lieu of introducing the cold-airblast direct into the heated honeycomb filling A of the stove we causethe said blast to enter the chamber B, situated below the said filling,which chamber is fitted with equilibrium-valves O of anysuitable formsaysix in numberthrough which the air can pass. The cold-air blast mayenter the chamber B by the duct D, Fig. 3, or in any other well-knownmanner. The upper portion of the said chamber B, with the valves 0, thusdivides the honeycomb filling into six effective divisions a a a a a a,through all of which the blast under normal conditions passes. When,however, the passages of the honeycomb become choked, all the valves arefirst closed, then one after the other rapidly opened and closed, thuscausing the whole blast to travel through one-sixth of the passages at atime. The force thus confined to an increment of the Whole effectuallyremoves the obstruction, which would not be the case were the blastacting on all passages at once,in which case no more passages would becleaned than corresponds with the area of the cold-air duct. When oncecleaned, the passages can be kept perfectly free by opening the valvesin the manner described at stated intervals.

The valves 0 may be confined within hopper-shaped casings E, supportedby H-beams e or the like, as shown, and may be operated by handles F,keyed to'the valve-spindles c, which pass through stuffing-boxes c inthe shell and lining of the stove.

The gas and air for heating the stove enter by the duct G or in anyother known manner, andafterignit-ion ascendtheflame-fiueH. By

.the use of our valve, therefore, the draft or heating of the stove canbe regulated at will. Thus by opening, say, two valves at a time oneportion of the honeycomb filling corresponding thereto can be heated,after which the said valves are closed and a second pair opened,causingthe gases to descend and heat a second section of the passages, and soon, the gases escaping by the chimney-flue J, as usual. The blast alsowhich traverses the heated passages in a direction opposite to Ice thattaken by the gases usedin heating same can be regulated to any desiredextent by closing the required number of valves.

G is the duct by which the hot blast leaves the stove.

In addition to controlling or regulating the blast the said method ofclosing one or more of the valves enables the blast to be reduced intemperature to any desired extent without impairing the heating effectof the stove, which when all the valves are again opened will enable thetemperature of the blast to be raised to the highest degree capable ofbeing attained.

By the foregoing method of cleaning the dustout of the honeycomb fillingthedust can be blown direct into the atmosphere through the cleaningdoor or manhole K on the top of the stove actuated by means of asuitable valve, thereby effecting the saving of labor and expense inraking out at bottom and refilling of dust again for disposal, or inlieu of blowing the dust directly into the atmosphere it may, asformerly, be blown through the gas-valve.

\Ve claim 1. In a hot-blast stove, the combination of the honeycombfilling divided into independent groups, a plurality of casings securedto one end of the filling each casing having a passage connected with agroup of the filling, and means in the casings for regulating andconcentrating an air-blast into any one of said groups while the stoveis in opera tion.

2. In a hot-blast stove, the combination with honeycomb filling dividedinto independent groups, a plurality of casings secured to one end ofthe filling each casing having a passage connected with the filling, andvalves in the passages for controlling the admission of air to theseveral passages.

3. In a hot-blast stove, the combination with the honeycomb filling,means for dividing said filling into independent divisions or groups,and a plurality of casings secured to one'end of the filling each casinghaving a passage connected with the filling, of a permanent valve foreach casing adapted to con centrate the air-blast into its particulardivision, and to regulate the blast heat and draft of the stove.

4. In a hot-blast stove, the combination of the honeycomb filling, aseries of casings secured to one end of the filling thereby dividing thefilling into a number of independent divisions, a valve mounted in eachof said casings, and means external of the stove for operating thevalve.

EDGAR JOSIAH WINDSOR RICHARDS. THOMAS LEWIS. \Vitnesses:

JOHN LAMONT, WILLIAM KIRK.

